editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Scott Neuman works as a Digital News writer and editor, handling breaking news and feature stories for NPR.org. Occasionally he can be heard on-air reporting on stories for Newscasts and has done several radio features since he joined NPR in April 2007, as an editor on the Continuous News Desk. Neuman brings to NPR years of experience as an editor and reporter at a variety of news organizations and based all over the world. For three years in Bangkok, Thailand, he served as an Associated Press Asia-Pacific desk editor. From 2000-2004, Neuman worked as a Hong Kong-based Asia editor and correspondent for The Wall Street Journal . He spent the previous two years as the international desk editor at the AP, while living in New York. As the United Press International's New Delhi-based correspondent and bureau chief, Neuman covered South Asia from 1995-1997. He worked for two years before that as a freelance radio reporter in India, filing stories for NPR, PRI and the Canadian BroadcastingNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Scott NeumanThu, 18 Jan 2018 02:19:26 +0000Scott Neumanhttp://kgou.org
Scott NeumanUpdated at 10 a.m. ET Michigan residents got a surprise Tuesday night when a meteor punched through the clouds with an explosive flash. It was powerful enough to register on seismic instruments. About 8:05 p.m. ET, dashcams and security video caught the object as it streaked toward a northern suburb of Detroit, not far from the Canadian border. The U.S. Geological Survey , which has labeled the event a meteorite impact, says it measured magnitude 2.0 on the agency's instruments and hit about 5 miles west northwest of New Haven. Social media postings indicate that it was seen as far away as Traverse City and Chicago. Some reported homes shaken by the explosion. Although it is not possible to immediately verify the video, it appears that several posted on Twitter were of the same event seen from different locations. You can see more at Twitter hashtag #meteor . Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Bright Light, Sonic Boom As Meteor Streaks Across Southern Michiganhttp://kgou.org/post/bright-light-sonic-boom-likely-meteor-streaks-across-southern-michigan
111360 as http://kgou.orgWed, 17 Jan 2018 12:23:00 +0000Bright Light, Sonic Boom As Meteor Streaks Across Southern MichiganScott NeumanUpdated at 4 p.m. ET Nearly all of the seats on the U.S. National Park Service advisory board are vacant following a mass resignation Monday night, with ex-members citing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's unwillingness to meet with them. Former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles said that he and eight other members of the panel handed in their resignations. In a separate letter Wednesday , another board member, Carolyn Hessler Radelet, also quit. The advisory board, which normally has up to 12 members and describes itself as comprising "citizen advisors chartered by Congress to help the National Park Service," has been an institution since 1935. Members of the current bipartisan iteration were appointed by President Obama and represented the geographical breadth of the U.S. and a range of research disciplines, from social science to natural resource conservation. The terms of most of the members who quit were set to expire in May. Radelet's term would not have expired until 2021. Knowles, in aMajority Of National Park Service Board Resigns, Citing Administration Indifferencehttp://kgou.org/post/majority-national-park-service-board-resigns-citing-administration-indifference
111347 as http://kgou.orgWed, 17 Jan 2018 10:42:00 +0000Majority Of National Park Service Board Resigns, Citing Administration IndifferenceScott NeumanAccidental deaths in the United States rose significantly in 2016, becoming the third-leading cause of fatalities for the first time in more than a century – a trend fueled by the steep rise in opioid overdoses, the National Safety Council reports. Accidents — defined by the council as unintentional, preventable injuries — claimed a record 161,374 lives in 2016, a 10 percent increase over 2015. They include motor vehicle crashes, falls, drowning, choking and poisoning, a category that encompasses accidental overdoses. NSC said in a statement, "The unprecedented spike [in accidental deaths] has been fueled by the opioid crisis. Unintentional opioid overdose deaths totaled 37,814 from drugs including prescription opioid pain relievers, heroin, and illicitly-made fentanyl." By comparison , motor vehicle deaths were at 40,327 in 2016, a 6.8 percent increase from the previous year. Deaths related to falls were also up by nearly 4 percent and drownings and fire-related deaths saw slightOpioid Crisis Blamed For Sharp Increase In Accidental Deaths In U.S.http://kgou.org/post/opioid-crisis-blamed-sharp-increase-accidental-deaths-us
111338 as http://kgou.orgWed, 17 Jan 2018 09:45:00 +0000Opioid Crisis Blamed For Sharp Increase In Accidental Deaths In U.S.Scott NeumanPresident Trump and congressional Democrats appear no closer to a deal on protecting "Dreamers" from deportation, but GOP lawmakers are working on a Plan B that would — if approved — prevent an election-year shutdown of the government, extending funding at least another month. A continuing resolution is due to expire this Friday, but Republicans have proposed kicking the can down the road once more with an extension on stop-gap funding through Feb. 16. Democrats have threatened a no-vote on any spending resolution that does not include an extension of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. However, Republicans hope that by including a two-year delay on implementation of unpopular taxes on medical devices and high-end employer-subsidized health care plans and a six-year reauthorization of the children's health program, or CHIP, they can get enough Democrats to come on board. Rank-and-file Republicans seem to like the deal and are hoping for a vote on Thursday, just ahead ofNo Closer To DACA Deal, Republicans Push Plan B To Keep Government Openhttp://kgou.org/post/no-closer-daca-deal-republicans-push-plan-b-keep-government-open
111337 as http://kgou.orgWed, 17 Jan 2018 08:07:00 +0000No Closer To DACA Deal, Republicans Push Plan B To Keep Government OpenScott NeumanA former Central Intelligence Agency officer is under arrest on charges of illegally retaining highly classified information relating to the U.S. spy network in China – including notebooks containing lists of informants and details of their operations, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 53, a naturalized U.S. citizen who now lives in Hong Kong, was taken into custody Monday night at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. An investigation of the former CIA case officer began in 2012, five years after he left the agency, the Justice Department says. He began working at the CIA in 1994 and had a top-secret clearance. A court affidavit says that in 2012, while Lee and his family were in Honolulu during a layover en route from Hong Kong to the U.S., the FBI executed a court-authorized search of his hotel room. There, agents found and photographed the contents of two small books that contained handwritten notes "pertaining to, but not limited to, operational notesEx-CIA Officer Arrested On Suspicion Of Exposing U.S. Spy Network In Chinahttp://kgou.org/post/ex-cia-officer-arrested-suspicion-exposing-us-spy-network-china
111336 as http://kgou.orgWed, 17 Jan 2018 07:25:00 +0000Ex-CIA Officer Arrested On Suspicion Of Exposing U.S. Spy Network In ChinaScott NeumanOfficials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were inadvertently sold. The market sold five packages of fish without removing their livers, which can contain a potent neurotoxin. Three of the packages of fish have been recovered by authorities, but two others remain at large. "We are calling for residents to avoid eating fugu, using Gamagori city's emergency wireless system," which broadcasts over loudspeakers located around the city, local official Koji Takayanagi, was quoted in The Japan Times as saying. "Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor nerves, and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death," regional officials said in a warning statement. Blowfish, known in Japan as fugu, is a highly prized delicacy both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup, but the fish's liver, ovaries and skin contain the poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must beFugu Freakout: Don't Eat The Blowfish, Japanese Officials Warnhttp://kgou.org/post/fugu-freakout-dont-eat-blowfish-japanese-officials-warn
111286 as http://kgou.orgTue, 16 Jan 2018 11:51:00 +0000Fugu Freakout: Don't Eat The Blowfish, Japanese Officials WarnScott NeumanUpdated at 8:40 a.m. ET Pope Francis, arriving in Chile to begin a three-day visit, opened his trip by asking for forgiveness over a local priest-abuse scandal that has left the country reeling — and prompted a less-than-warm reception for the Argentine-born pontiff. The pope, specifically, is the target of ire because he appointed a bishop who many Chileans accuse of covering up sexual abuse by a now-disgraced priest. Francis directly addressed the controversy in a speech to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and other officials on Tuesday, as Emily Green reports for NPR. "Francis said he felt 'bound to express my pain and shame at the irreparable damage caused by some ministers of the church," Green reports. "He promised he would try and ensure such abuse never happened again." "It is right to ask forgiveness," the pope said, according to an Associated Press translation. It's not clear if the pope will meet with sexual abuse survivors during his trip, the AP reports. Green reportsOn Visit To Chile, Pope Asks For Forgiveness Over Sex-Abuse Scandalhttp://kgou.org/post/visit-chile-pope-faces-anger-over-sex-abuse-scandal
111269 as http://kgou.orgTue, 16 Jan 2018 08:48:00 +0000On Visit To Chile, Pope Asks For Forgiveness Over Sex-Abuse ScandalScott NeumanUpdated at 2:25 p.m. ET A Southern California couple are in custody after one of their daughters called 911 and led authorities to their home on Sunday. There, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department says it found 12 of the teen's siblings inside, including "several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings." Of the 13 siblings living at the home in Perris, Calif., officials say six were under the age of 18. The siblings ranged in age from 2 years old to 29, and the daughter who sought help was 17 — though when law enforcement officers met with her, "she appeared to be only 10 years old and slightly emaciated." "Deputies, when they arrived inside the house, noticed that the children were malnourished," Capt. Greg Fellows, commander of the Perris Sheriff's Station, said at a news conference Tuesday. "It was very dirty, and the conditions were horrific." Law enforcement officers arrested their biological parents, David Allen Turpin,'I Would Call That Torture': Couple Arrested After Kids Found 'Shackled' At Homehttp://kgou.org/post/couple-arrested-after-children-found-shackled-their-beds-california-home
111268 as http://kgou.orgTue, 16 Jan 2018 07:34:00 +0000'I Would Call That Torture': Couple Arrested After Kids Found 'Shackled' At HomeScott Neumanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjIsrpAg3JE Lawmakers from both parties joined opinion leaders around the world in condemning remarks made by President Trump during a meeting earlier this week on immigration, in which he referred to "shithole countries" in Africa and questioned why the U.S. would want to accept immigrants from countries such as Haiti and El Salvador. The comments came out of a closed-door meeting at the White House on Thursday and were first reported by The Washington Post. Utah Republican Rep. Mia Love, whose family came from Haiti, called the president's comments "unkind, divisive [and] elitist." They "fly in the face of our nation's values. This behavior is unacceptable from the leader of our nation," she said. Fellow Utahan, Sen. Orrin Hatch, a staunch Trump ally, said: "I look forward to getting a more detailed explanation regarding the President's comments. Part of what makes America so special is that we welcome the best and brightest in the world, regardless ofRepublicans Join In Condemning Trump's Use Of Expletive To Describe Africahttp://kgou.org/post/republicans-join-condemning-trumps-use-expletive-describe-africa
111090 as http://kgou.orgFri, 12 Jan 2018 12:48:00 +0000Republicans Join In Condemning Trump's Use Of Expletive To Describe AfricaScott NeumanA giant black hole located at the center of a galaxy 800 million light-years from Earth has been caught on camera letting out not one, but two massive "burps" of highly charged particles. It is the first time astronomers have viewed the phenomenon twice in the same black hole. Images released Thursday and credited to the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory were presented at the American Astronomical Society's winter meeting in National Harbor, Md., outside Washington, D.C. "Black holes are voracious eaters, but it also turns out they don't have very good table manners," Julie Comerford, an astronomer at the University of Colorado Boulder, said during a news conference Thursday, according to Space.com. "We know a lot of examples of black holes with single burps emanating out, but we discovered a galaxy with a supermassive black hole that has not one, but two burps." The supermassive black hole is at the center of a galaxy known as SDSS J1354+1327, or colloquially asResearchers Spot Massive Black Hole In Double 'Burp'http://kgou.org/post/researchers-spot-massive-black-hole-double-burp
111088 as http://kgou.orgFri, 12 Jan 2018 11:33:00 +0000Researchers Spot Massive Black Hole In Double 'Burp'Scott NeumanUpdated at 6:55 a.m. ET President Trump announced early Friday that he has canceled a trip to the U.K. next month, citing a "bad deal" the Obama administration made for a new U.S. Embassy in London. The president accepted the queen's invitation for a state visit when he met with Prime Minister Theresa May in July at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. The trip had tentatively been planned to begin around the end of February. In a tweet posted just before 1 a.m. on Friday, the president said he had decided against the trip because "I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for 'peanuts,' only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!" The move comes weeks after Trump sparked anger in Britain for retweeting incendiary anti-Muslim videos from a far-right U.K. politician. The prime minister said it was "wrong" for the president to have shared the videos firstTrump Says He's Canceling U.K. Visit, Citing 'Bad Deal' On New London Embassy http://kgou.org/post/trump-says-hes-cancelling-uk-visit-citing-bad-deal-new-london-embassy
111075 as http://kgou.orgFri, 12 Jan 2018 07:38:00 +0000Trump Says He's Canceling U.K. Visit, Citing 'Bad Deal' On New London Embassy Scott NeumanFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Thursday that the social media giant would begin emphasizing more "meaningful" content on users' feeds — giving greater weight to posts from friends and family and less to businesses, brands and media. In a long Facebook post of his own, Zuckerberg stressed that the social media platform — which has more than 2 billion active users worldwide — was created "to help people stay connected and bring us closer together with the people that matter to us." While the move was anticipated, Thursday's announcement filled in more of the details. "The research shows that when we use social media to connect with people we care about, it can be good for our well-being. We can feel more connected and less lonely, and that correlates with long term measures of happiness and health," Zuckerberg wrote. "On the other hand, passively reading articles or watching videos — even if they're entertaining or informative — may not be as good." The changes come as theFacebook Rolls Out New Plan For News Feed: More Posts From Friends And Family http://kgou.org/post/facebook-rolls-out-new-plan-news-feed-more-posts-friends-and-family
111074 as http://kgou.orgFri, 12 Jan 2018 06:38:00 +0000Facebook Rolls Out New Plan For News Feed: More Posts From Friends And Family Scott NeumanThai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha — whose relations with the country's news media have included threatening journalists with execution (a joke, he explained later) — has found a new approach to dealing with uncomfortable questions: on Monday, he had a life-sized cardboard cutout of himself propped in front of reporters and walked away. As he did so, the former army chief who seized power from an elected government three years ago, waved and instructed journalists: "If you want to ask any questions on politics or conflict, ask this guy." It's not the first time, The Associated Press notes , that Prayuth has left the media dumfounded: "In the past he has fondled the ear of a sound technician for several minutes during an impromptu news conference, flung a banana peel at cameramen, and threatened, with what he called gruff humor, to execute any journalist who criticized his government." Since seizing power, Prayuth's government has promised several times to hold elections — only toThai Premier To Reporters: Talk To The Cardboard Cut-Outhttp://kgou.org/post/thai-premier-reporters-talk-cardboard-cut-out
110864 as http://kgou.orgTue, 09 Jan 2018 13:44:00 +0000Thai Premier To Reporters: Talk To The Cardboard Cut-OutScott NeumanBad weather is hampering efforts to contain a fire and oil spill off the coast of Shanghai three days after a collision between an Iranian-owned oil tanker and a Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier in the East China Sea. The Panamanian-flagged tanker, Sanchi , is carrying 136,000 tons of condensate, an ultralight version of crude oil. The two vessels collided about 160 miles off the coast of Shanghai, the Chinese commercial hub. China's Ministry of Transport says 10-foot waves, strong winds and rain were all contributing to difficulties in extinguishing the fire and finding the 31 tanker crew members still missing – 29 Iranians and two Bangladeshis. The body of one Iranian crew member was found earlier. Twenty-one Chinese nationals aboard the bulk carrier, CF Crystal , have been rescued. Two South Korean coast guard officers tell Reuters that the flames were forcing them to stay as far as 3 miles away from the Sanchi. "We can't grasp the level of oil contamination at this moment. The cargoWeather Hampers Efforts To Put Out Tanker Blaze In East China Seahttp://kgou.org/post/weather-hampers-efforts-put-out-tanker-blaze-east-china-sea
110854 as http://kgou.orgTue, 09 Jan 2018 12:13:00 +0000Weather Hampers Efforts To Put Out Tanker Blaze In East China SeaScott NeumanA top-secret multi-billion dollar U.S. spy satellite launched from Cape Canaveral on Sunday reportedly failed to separate from the upper stage of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and never reached orbit. The technology website Ars Technica cites one source as saying the "the payload fell back to Earth along with the spent upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket." The satellite, code-named Zuma, appears to be "a write-off," according to a source quoted by Reuters. During Sunday's launch, SpaceX initially broadcast ground control communications, but switched it off several minutes into the flight, citing the secret nature of the payload. Speaking on Monday, SpaceX spokesman James Gleeson appeared to be sticking with the commercial space-launch service's initial assessment of the launch: "We do not comment on missions of this nature; but as of right now reviews of the data indicate Falcon 9 performed nominally." Northrup Grumman, the manufacturer of Zuma, also declined to comment. The Falls Church,U.S. Spy Satellite Reportedly 'Write Off' After Failing To Reach Orbithttp://kgou.org/post/us-spy-satellite-reportedly-write-after-failing-reach-orbit
110837 as http://kgou.orgTue, 09 Jan 2018 09:47:00 +0000U.S. Spy Satellite Reportedly 'Write Off' After Failing To Reach OrbitScott NeumanIn rare talks between the rival Koreas held at the shared border village of Panmunjom, the North has agreed to send athletes and a cheering squad to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next month. The talks, being held Tuesday inside the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, are intended to reduce tensions between the bitter rivals amid harsh words between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump , who recently took to Twitter to compare the relative size of the two countries' nuclear arsenals. As NPR's Elise Hu reports, the inter-Korea meeting is the first in two years. "Only the first part of the dialogue was open to press, but from what cameras caught, both sides were in upbeat moods and seemed earnest about making a deal at the outset," she tells Morning Edition . "The North Korean delegation walked from its side of the border over the military demarcation line in order to meet with South Koreans who were waiting for them," Elise told NPR's Newscast Unit, adding, "South KoreaAt Inter-Korea Talks, Pyongyang Agrees To Send Athletes, Cheerleaders To Olympicshttp://kgou.org/post/inter-korea-talks-pyongyang-agrees-send-athletes-cheerleaders-olympics
110836 as http://kgou.orgTue, 09 Jan 2018 08:26:00 +0000At Inter-Korea Talks, Pyongyang Agrees To Send Athletes, Cheerleaders To OlympicsScott NeumanIran's Revolutionary Guard is claiming to have quelled anti-government protests that began late last month and spread to several major cities, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 people. The demonstrations began on Dec. 28 in the second-largest city of Mashad, followed a sharp rise in food prices against a backdrop of accelerating unemployment. According to The Associated Press, authorities in Iran have claimed in the past few days that protests were waning. Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency says hundreds of people, including about 90 university students, have been detained since the protests began. Abbas Milani, director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, recently wrote for NPR's Parallels blog , that Iran's regime is, "... strategically weak because it faces daunting challenges — from oil price changes and water shortages to a disgruntled, Internet-savvy, youthful population, led by increasingly assertive women, hampered by chronic double-digit inflation andIran's Revolutionary Guard Claims To Have Put Down Protestshttp://kgou.org/post/irans-revolutionary-guard-claims-have-put-down-protests
110790 as http://kgou.orgMon, 08 Jan 2018 13:29:00 +0000Iran's Revolutionary Guard Claims To Have Put Down ProtestsScott NeumanUpdated at 7:40 a.m. ET The BBC's China editor, Carrie Gracie, a 30-year veteran of the network, has abruptly resigned her job in the Beijing bureau, accusing the network of promulgating a gender pay gap. Gracie, who is fluent in Mandarin, said she stepped down as editor in China last week but would remain with the BBC, returning to her former post in the television newsroom in London "where I expect to be paid equally," she wrote in an open letter published in her blog. "In the past four years, the BBC has had four international editors - two men and two women. [Britain's] Equality Act 2010 states that men and women doing equal work must receive equal pay. But last July I learned that in the previous financial year, the two men earned at least 50% more than the two women," Gracie writes. "I told my bosses the only acceptable resolution would be for all the international editors to be paid the same amount. The right amount would be for them to decide, and I made clear I wasn't seekingBBC Veteran Quits China Editor Post To Protest Gender Pay Gaphttp://kgou.org/post/bbc-veteran-quits-china-editor-post-protest-gender-pay-gap
110776 as http://kgou.orgMon, 08 Jan 2018 11:08:00 +0000BBC Veteran Quits China Editor Post To Protest Gender Pay GapScott NeumanA break in a water main at New York's JFK airport on Sunday prompted the evacuation of a flooded terminal, causing backups and delays at one of the country's busiest air hubs just as it was trying to get to normal operations after disruptions from a major snowstorm. NPR's Amy Held reports that the water main broke at about 2 p.m. ET, halting international flights at Terminal 4. Amy says it comes close on the heels of dozens of cancellations and delays over the weekend due to heavy snow. "Television footage showed water gushing down the walls and flooding a baggage area," Amy says. "It happened after the Port Authority — which operates the airport — said the cold and snow had led to a cascading series of problems." In a statement, Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton called the situation at the airport "unacceptable." "While the water pipe break that occurred appears to be weather-related, we have launched an investigation into the incident to determine exactly what occurredBurst Water Main At JFK Airport Floods International Terminalhttp://kgou.org/post/burst-water-main-jfk-airport-floods-international-terminal
110777 as http://kgou.orgMon, 08 Jan 2018 10:30:00 +0000Burst Water Main At JFK Airport Floods International TerminalScott NeumanSpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched a top secret U.S. government payload into orbit, while returning its first-stage booster to the ground for reuse. The Falcon lifted off at 8 p.m. ET Sunday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. As the first-stage of the Falcon returned to Earth for an upright landing, the upper stage lofted the mysterious Zuma, presumed to be a spy satellite or military communications satellite, into an undisclosed orbit. The launch was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was pushed ahead until Sunday without explanation, according to WFTV.com in Orlando. Space.com explains : "... the main goal of tonight's flight was getting Zuma aloft, so the spacecraft can start going about its business. Just what that business may be is unclear; little has been revealed about the payload. We do know that aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman procured Zuma's launch atop a Falcon 9 for the U.S. government — but we don't know which agency will operate theSpaceX Rocket Launches Secret Government Payload Into Orbithttp://kgou.org/post/spacex-rocket-launches-secret-government-payload-orbit
110766 as http://kgou.orgMon, 08 Jan 2018 06:51:00 +0000SpaceX Rocket Launches Secret Government Payload Into Orbit